There exists a need to protect animals from harmful atmospheric elements such as rain, hail, sun rays, heat and the like of which the latter two present a particular concern. Exemplary shielding needs exist, in particular, in the pasturing or daytime outdoor lodging of farm animals such as for horses, turkeys, chickens, hogs, dairy and beef cattle, deer, moose, elk, etc. Also unprotected outside activities of humans as well as the more exotic animals such as llamas, alpacas, zoo animals and the like would greatly benefit by an outside portable protective shielding device (PPSD) which could easily be transported to a desired location. Such a device would effectively provide a healthful outside animal sheltering instead of the harmful and costly effects of indoor confinement or the perils of unshielded outside exposure.
A controlled management intensive dairy and beef cattle grazing operation during the hot summer days well illustrates such an existing need. Such managed pasturing often involves grazing cattle for a fixed grazing period and then moving the cattle onto another grazing site. This procedure is necessary to prevent over-passuring, soil nutrient depletions or excesses and grassland erosion due to excessive usage. Under such circumstances sheltering is commonly unavailable leaving most cattle exposed to the harmful effects of sun rays and heat exhaustion which can occasionally be lethal to animals. If animal sheltering is available such shelters typically comprise a small permanent framed structure with a sheltering roof customarily mounted upon skids for transport.
The deleterious effect of unprotected shading in agriculture food production is well documented. Documented studies substantiate the adverse effects which occur when cattle are forced to endure excessive heat and direct sunlight. Dairy cattle exposed to such hot and unshielded conditions exhibit a precipitous drop in milk production. Similarly beef cattle show insufficient weight gain under such adverse conditions.
The need for a portable protective shielding device (PPSD) has become even more demanding with the increasing popularity of grass fed beef and dairy cattle under a farming practice commonly known as “micro-rotational grazing.” Such rotational grazing requires the farmer to move foraging livestock herds from one small paddock to another daily. This technique generally results in maintaining superior grazing grasses needed for optimum production while also increasing soil quality, fertility, livestock weight and/or milk production gains with an added benefit of controlling grassland erosion. Paddocks are typically of an acre or less, but may be somewhat larger for pasturing larger herds. Under such rotational practices, permanent sheltering is unfeasible. Rotational grazing under the protection of shade trees is rarely available and the forested area readily deteriorates with use. Under ideal circumstances cattle would be permitted to graze on lushly fresh grass while also having access to water under sheltering conditions against the sun and heat. Where trees exist, cattle tend to deplete fertility from pastures by depositing excess manure while trampling forested areas as well as the grazing areas which leads to further soil erosion and grazing loses.
The importance of a portable protective shielding device (PPSD) as provided by the present invention is exemplified by the many advantageous benefits afforded in agricultural milk and meat production such as:                1. Providing a relatively inexpensive shade source for relatively large herds which results in significantly increased meat and milk production by reducing heat stress from sun radiation;        2. Enhancing soil fertility by timely repositioning of the PPDS to provide needed soil nutrients at the appropriate levels in a schematic rotation;        3. Reducing run off and water pollution by repositioning the PPSD at a safe distance from vulnerable watersheds without creating the deleterious effects of cattle runs;        4. Protecting tree and grasslands from damage caused by excessive trampling by livestock;        5. Providing an effective feeding and watering station when the PPSD is so equipped;        6. Providing effective fly control by equipping the PPSD with a fly control system;        7. Providing an aesthetically pleasing feature to a rural landscape;        8. Providing a more healthful animal environment;        9. Affording portable shielding protection to large numbers of animal herds, crowds, flocks, etc.;        10. Meeting the sheltering standards for organic foods and;        11. Providing a protective animal shielding device which may easily deployed when needed and collapsed into a highway transportable device for deployment at another site.A properly designed PPSD provides mobility and flexibility to the animal shading device. Notwithstanding its size, the PPSD can be moved from farm to farm on public roads at highway speeds. This is accomplished by engineering the PPSD so as to fold into a compact transport mode for safe wheeled transport. Upon deployment at a desired pasture location, the PPSD may be equipped to easily provide 1,000 square feet or more of shaded area coverage. A PPSD meeting the 53 foot highway trailer requirement affords about 2,226 square feet shading. Simply by adding an additional 10 feet of telescoping radial arms in support of the protective canopy the available shade coverage increases to about 4,223 square feet. Accordingly it may be seen that the PPSD can be tailored made to suit the specific needs for any given operation. Transport within the pasture or highway can be done quickly and easily with any vehicle such as a small ATV, skid steer, tractor, automobile, truck, fork lift, etc. as well as by animal. The PPSD longitudinally collapses into a compact form for roadway transport. The PPSD may be designed to protect both the device and the animals against injury and damage. The 360° degree access afforded by the device allows cattle to move freely into and within the PPSD with minimal obstruction while providing optimum venting. In case of severe weather warnings, the PPSD may be expeditiously collapsed into a stowable longitudinal form for transport or on-site stowing to protect the device from wind and any other damage sources. Positioning the PPSD into the stowable transportable position (frequently referred to as the “closed position”) or a protective shielding position (referred to as the “open position”) may be effectuated manually, mechanically, remotely or automatically such as through the use of cranks, hydraulics, electric servo motors, aerodynamics, spring activated systems, etc.        
The PPSD (referred herein as the device) is designed to be uniquely comfortable for both man and beast. Upon the canopy deployment the device imparts heat releasing attributes. The preamble horizontal surface of the deployed canopy prevents heat entrapment. The substantially horizontal alignment of the porous canopy surface and its open structure minimizes entrapped stagnated air or the effects of wind currents to catch or move the PPSD. Illustrative of a particularly suitable canopy is the use of an 80% polyethylene knit black shade cloth which prevents sun ray penetration but allows the shade cloth to breath from beneath the canopy which in turn allows hot air to escape confinement. The use of a knit black fabric functions as a heat absorber to permit a more rapid upwardly dissipation of the heated stagnated air beneath the canopy into the atmosphere above the canopy while allowing cooler convection currents to gently and uniformly breeze from outside the canopy to within the canopy to create a desirable cooling effect. These features also serve to reduce animal eye strain reflection and insect or fly gathering within the protective area.
Shielding of humans is also an important factor in order to protect an outdoor worker against the harmful effects of sun rays and heat exhaustion. For outdoor gatherings, tents are commonly used in group gatherings of twenty or more people. Unfortunately, such tents typically need to be rented while also necessitating substantial time and effort to install, disassemble and transport typically by a truck or trailer. Conventional tents also typically create an undesirable tenting of heat which arises due to a failure to effectively dissipate heat entrapped beneath and within the tent. This provides an uncomfortable and unhealthful environment especially during the hot and humid summer months. A transportable protective shielding device which would allow for quick assembly and disassembly for the user while also providing a more complete protection against harmful sun rays and a superior dissipation of heat from the shielding structure would fulfill a long existing need.
Another example of circumstances wherein a portable protective shielding device would provide significant advantages over current practices pertains to the ability to provide a mobile protective shield for harvesting workers. There exists a need to protect workers from the sun (e.g. sun and heat stroke, sunburns, dehydration, etc.) as commonly arises in horticultural enterprises such as weeding, detasseling, transplanting, harvesting fruits and vegetables as well as any other outdoor horticulture activity necessitating outdoor worker protection from sun and heat. There further exists a need to protect harvesting workers when workers are engaged in harvesting produce from rowed crops. There exists a further need for a PPSD which may be transported from field to field or from one farm to another farm over public roadways, and then readily assembled or disassembled from its shielding assembly position while also permitting the necessary in-row portability and worker shielding in horticulture and other work related mobile outdoor activities.
The PPSD of this invention fulfills all of these long felt needs. The PPSD herein provides protection from the elements. The PPSD herein effectively protects animals, humans, fowl, etc. from sun and heat as well as other elements such as rain, hail and the like. The PPSD may also be used as a temporary tent for outdoor events, parties, celebrations, military drills and any other type of desired outdoor gathering as well as providing emergency protection for civil authorities such as for natural disasters.
The present invention meets these unique needs by providing a portable protective shielding device (PPSD) which may be readily collapsed for transport and readily assembled or deployed about a circular axis into an arcuate shielding position at a desired shielding site. Accordingly it may be seen that the PPSD of this invention thus fulfills a host of long felt needs.